The Liberator Magazine
The Official Publication of the College of Liberal Arts
Written by Hayle Chen. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – For Allison, who told me I could absolutely write on a topic that I had never pitched to her before—you brought the best kind of control to this chaotic world. “To be in hell is to drift; to be in heaven is to steer.” When addressing the fervent lust for control that […]
Written by Hayle Chen. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Communication. Thirteen letters, five syllables, and an abundance of dichotomies: we do it all the time. From the fleeting goodbye you call out to your roommate as the door slams shut, to delivering well-composed answers specifically devised for a life-altering interview, communication is undoubtedly humanity’s unwavering constant. However, do we recognize […]
Written by Harrison Fernelius. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – Strip malls, aren’t they beautiful? Now before you pass judgment, please let me explain. Some of the most vivid memories of my childhood come from those summer days spent strip mall shopping with my mom. The palpable heat of the sun giving way to the ice-cold chill of the store, as […]
Written by Frida Silva. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – When the Twilight films first started being released, expressing any positive feelings for the movies meant enduring endless shame and online harassment. Just like any other pop culture phenomenon with a fan base consisting of mainly teenage girls, Twilight generated endless memes and jokes at the expense of the franchise and […]
Written by Pilar Padilla. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Pilar Padilla is currently a junior at Westwood High School in Austin, Texas. – Over the past few weeks, Austinites were hit with the shocking news of the University of Texas at Austin’s ties to the academic cheating scandal that swept prestigious colleges across the nation. The school is being sued by […]
Written by Frida Silva.Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – There’s an ongoing joke in the lesbian community that Hozier is actually possessed by an ancient lesbian spirit, and that’s why his songs sound the way that they do. I, for one, strongly agree. I’m not saying a straight man isn’t capable of expressing such a profound, almost sacred, love and admiration […]
Written by Quynhanh Tran. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – In seventh grade, I discovered the young adult series Maximum Ride. I spent a week devouring each novel, some of them twice through, and I still couldn’t get enough. After realizing there wasn’t any more to the series, I went on the internet and discovered Maximum Ride food fight fics (there […]
Written by Yulissa Chavez. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – Politics may appear problematic but being ill-informed on policies or platforms before voting is even more problematic. Social media provides users with a mass of information, opinions, and ideas in a matter of seconds; however, this accessibility can also be counterintuitive for those who may not understand the multifaceted factors that […]
Written by Hayley Wood. It’s 3:30 on a Wednesday afternoon. The Texas sun illuminates the east side of campus as students trek towards the stadium for their commute home. For those heading southbound on E 23rd Street, life at UT is strikingly different from their peers headed home to West Campus. The 680 bus becomes crowded until every nearly every […]
Written by Brooke Quach. #Metoo. Aziz Ansari. Cat Person. #Timesup. Performative allyship. Consent. Sex Ed. These are only some of phrases, names, and ideas that have been thrown around social media in the midst of the movement against sexual harassment and assault. These terms embody the nuances of the movement and bring to light the systemic problems that perpetuate these […]
Written by Hira Vayani. Many South Asian children’s earliest memories include their family and a stethoscope. It’s the child’s 4th birthday, and they have received a doctor’s kit as a present. This is just the beginning of the continuous career conditioning, as most people in the South Asian community have a narrow definition of success, due to cultural and societal […]
Written by Grace Schrobilgen During my first year at UT, I stopped reading for pleasure. I was so overwhelmed by assigned readings for classes that I began to forget how much I relish leafing through the pages of a book and allowing myself to become attached to a character, concept, or storyline. Reading stimulates the mind more than Netflix ever […]
Written by Bhabika Joshi. In the commotion that surrounds events like Halloween or Austin City Limits – where it’s easy to get distracted by Young The Giant, Flume, and a chicken burrito from Freebird’s—certain things go unnoticed. There are boys with bindis on their foreheads and girls with Indian feathers adorning their bodies. There are couples painting their faces black […]
Written by Samantha Bolf. America is now wholly given over to a damned mob of scribbling women, and I should have no chance of success while the public is occupied with their trash.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne In 1983, Joanna Russ published a book through the University of Texas press titled “How to Suppress Women’s Writing.” The cover is reminiscent of […]
Written by Frances Molina . Want to know how to have the best sex ever? Class is in session. The amusing tagline had me hooked almost immediately. The banner advertised a conversation on love, relationships, and hookup culture. I didn’t know what to expect from the lecture since I didn’t know which campus organization would be hosting, but the talk […]
Written by Dylan Preston. There is nothing funny about politics. Yet when many Americans look at the state of American politics, they mistake it for a joke. From Hillary Clinton’s email scandal to the Republican debates, American politics looks more like a traveling circus than political discourse. Humor is everywhere in politics–now more than ever with the media hunts for ratings. Former […]
